The Seven Summits – Why not cross one off your Bucket List in 2013!

December is upon us, it is snowing like crazy here in the Austrian Alps, and we have just over four weeks to go until we step into a New Year.

2012 has been a year to remember, and while we managed to cross “Climb Kilimanjaro” off our Bucket List, we also managed to add a whole page of ‘to do’ adventures, and will have to live to be about 110 years old if we are ever going to achieve them all – but hey, you only live once!

Our next challenge comes in March 2013, when we will be heading down to South Africa for the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour (a short 109km bike ride around the Western Cape!) and after that, it looks as though we may have to tackle another of the mighty Seven Summits.

Aconcagua in Argentina seems to be the firm favourite for our next mountain expedition, and who knows, maybe one day we will add the remaining six to our ‘been there, done that’ list – but until then, here are some fabulous pictures of the Seven Summits to give you some inspiration for 2013:

It might not be as big as Mount Kilimanjaro, but it certainly looks as beautiful, and if you want to start with the lowest of the Seven Summits – head on down to Carstensz Pyramid (or Puncak Jaya) in Indonesia, and climb its 4,884 metres.

Next up, we have the Vinson Massif in Antarctica. At 4,897 metres, this mountain is almost a thousand metres lower than Kili, but extreme weather conditions make it a toughie!

Taking us above the 5,000 metres threshold, Mount Elbrus in Russia comes next on the Seven Summits height chart at an impressive 5,642 metres above sea level. You will definitely need your long johns for this one!

Then comes our 5,895 metre high Mount Kilimanjaro – been there, done that, got the t-shirt, drank the beer, and cannot wait to do it all over again!

Getting in to serious high altitude territory, Mount McKinley in North America measures a whopping 6,194 metres above sea level and takes the number three spot on the Seven Summits list.

Here she is… our next mountain mission will take us to Aconcagua in Argentina, where we will attempt to summit this huge 6,962 metres peak.

Last, but by no means least, the mighty mountain that is Everest in Nepal measures 8,848 metres, and remains the ultimate challenge for every mountain climbing enthusiast. A costly climb and one that takes several weeks to complete, I am not overly confident we will climb Everest, but then I never thought I would really climb Kilimanjaro – so never say never!